Murphysboro, IL – State Representative Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) is fighting back against false claims Paul Jacobs is making about Illinois’ new school funding reform law.

Jacobs is backed by Liberty Principles PAC, a Chicago-based ‘dark money’ Super PAC. In fact, Jacobs has taken hundreds of thousands in campaign support from the Chicago based Super PAC. The cash is being used to launch a disgusting new attack ad against Terri Bryant, which falsely characterizes her vote for Senate Bill 1947, the new Evidence-Based Funding Model for Illinois schools.

“Paul Jacobs and his Chicago political backers are attacking my support of the new school funding reform law despite the fact that Paul Jacobs’ own website says that passing SB 1947 was a ‘step in the right direction’,” Bryant said. “This is the kind of political double-talk you could only learn in a Chicago political boss’ media training session.”

Bryant says the tone of Jacobs’ campaign has been almost completely negative. She says Jacobs has provided very little in the way of specifics on his own platforms, instead choosing to run a negative ad campaign using Chicago provided campaign money.

“My opponent’s campaign has sunk to a new low with this latest negative and false attack on my record,” Bryant said. “I am proud to have supported SB 1947. It provides more than $5 million in new State funding for schools in the 115th district. This is not some Chicago bailout. It’s record funding for our schools. It means smaller class sizes, all day Kindergarten, and overall better outcomes for students. Paul Jacobs should be ashamed of himself for opposing this desperately-needed education funding reform law and for his Chicago-style double-talk on this issue. The only thing that’s worse than his flip flop on this issue is that he is now playing politics with our kids’ education. It is just shameful, but that’s the type of campaign he’s chosen to run. It’s unfortunate.”

Senate Bill 1947 (Public Act 100-465) creates a new Evidence-Based Funding Model for Illinois public schools. The new law was the result of years of negotiations and was supported by a broad coalition of education advocacy groups. The new funding model places Illinois school districts into tiers based on local resources and total need. Tier 1 districts receive 50 percent of all new funding the State allocates to K-12 education in FY 2018.

Under, SB 1947, the evidence-based model, here is a breakdown of projected funding increases for schools in the 115th district:• Murphysboro CUSD186 will receive over $820,000 in new funding for a total of $10.3 million. • Mt. Vernon high school and elementary schools will receive more than $1 million in combined new funding for a total of more than $12.3 million. • Schools outside of the city of Mt. Vernon in Jefferson County will also receive a combined total of more than $1 million in new funding. • Cobden, Anna, Jonesboro, and Shawnee school districts will take in more than $600,000 in new funding bringing Union County schools total to more than $9.7 million in State support.

Here is screen shot proving Paul Jacobs supports SB 1947 from his own campaign website as of February 22, 2018 at www.jacobsforillinois.com/issues

Pulse

Paid for by the committee to elect Terri Bryant. A copy of our report filed with State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website (www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois